


Ultracrepidarian

by Chocoboy_James



Category: FFXIV, Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: FFxivWrite, FFxivWrite2020, Tumblr: FFXIVwrite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:16:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26423989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chocoboy_James/pseuds/Chocoboy_James
Summary: Day 11 of the FFXIVWrite 2020.Ultracrepidarian.James has been instructed to clean the talons and nails of the chocobo, Deiana. A woman drops by indicating he is doing it wrong, trying to take over James' work.
Kudos: 1





	Ultracrepidarian

It was in the early noon, when James found himself cleaning one of the chocobos. The talons of this specific chocobo were very dirty, mud and dried poop was sticking onto it.   
“Oh my dear, let’s see to that first, shall we?” James chuckled and went over to the well to grab some clean water. 

Deiana eagerly awaited his return and began to chirp in delight as soon as she got her eyes on the bucket full of water.   
“I am glad you are enthused.” the young teen bit his lip as he looked down towards the talons. It surely will smell, and he still was very new to this, but he was certain he could handle it. He had many lessons after all.

Grabbing a small iron tool, he already began to carefully scratch off the biggest surfaces of dirt that he could see. The chocobo luckily was working along smoothly and just stood still. As he got one of the talons scraped off, he went over it with the clean water, rubbing a cloth over it next to make them extra shiny. 

Suddenly behind him he heard a disgruntled noise.   
“No no, that’s all wrong.”   
James looked over his shoulder and saw an older woman standing behind him, arms crossed and a sour expression on her face.   
“Can I help you, miss?” he asked curiously and got himself up again.

“You’re doing it wrong.” The woman continued and shook her head. She then began to explain in an angry tone how it should go. To not use anything iron or sharp at all, lest you might scratch the talon, and how she insisted the water needed at least some soap to clean it even better. 

James just stood there, raising his eyebrows, wondering if he indeed had done it wrong. The lessons he got here were always: Try to be careful, the dirt will come off as long as you do it with patience.

“Uhm…” the young man finally had a chance to speak after the woman had ended her speech. “That’s not how I have learned it, miss.” he admitted and even Deiana seemed a bit agitated that her time for clean talons was being wasted by this person. 

“Well then you are all a bunch of brainless mudpuppies!” She suddenly got out. “Now give those to me and let me show you how it’s really done.” without James giving her permission, she ripped out the tools from his hands and started to bend down herself. 

Deiana became restless as the woman began to work on the nails. It was rather rushed and James became frightened she might just do what she thinks she was to prevent.   
“Miss, I am sorry but-” James started and wanted to get her back up, but she wouldn’t let up.   
“Shut it, and pay attention.” the lady hissed and the young teen made a soft sigh. 

He got out of the stable and beckoned over one of his fellow stablehands, Dereck. James pointed towards the stable where the female was still working at, and made a shrug, indicating he had no clue how to solve a problem he had. The man nodded and approached the young blonde.   
“What’s wrong?” he asked and James pointed at the lady, who was making the chocobo ever so restless. 

Dereck sighed and stepped into the stables.   
“Excuse me, miss, but you’re not authorized to do this.”   
“I am more authorized than any of you all, you lot have no clue how to handle this.” the woman hissed once more and Dereck clearly did not have the same patience as James had. 

He got her by the arm and lifted her up. Grabbed the tools from her hands and pushed her away from the chocobo.   
“What is the meaning of this?” she cried out and seemed to get really mad.   
“Miss, I must inform you that the ways you’re using are wrong, and you are harming the chocobo.”   
“This lad was harming her, I was only trying to help out!” she pointed over to James, who in shock made a step back. “I told him that he was not being careful! you should have seen it.” 

“Miss, I am very sorry, but he is trained among us to do the job correctly, otherwise we would not give him such a job.” Dereck frowned and the women looked towards the floor with hate. “Now, look at the nails he cleaned, and the ones you had a chance on cleaning.”   
James looked over as well and his mouth dropped open a bit. The two nails she had gotten her hands on were full of scratches and the one James did was unharmed. 

The lady shook her head and once more pointed at James.   
“Those are the ones this lad has done!”   
“No it’s not!” James now felt obligated to step up as well. “You’re lying.”   
“The only one lying here is you, boy.” She hissed back, yet Dereck once more got in between.   
“I kindly ask you to leave, miss. You have no place here.” 

The woman once more refused, and it seemed even Deiana had enough of this. The bird stepped forwards and gave a soft kick against her back, making the woman fall in the smelly hay that had been gathered from the dirty stables before.

“Oh…” James got out softly and wanted to help her up, but Dereck stopped him from doing so.   
“Don’t, let this be a lesson for her.” he gave a pat on James’ shoulder before walking away and continuing his own work.   
James went over to the restless chocobo and gave her a few soft pets as he hushed her down.   
“It’s ok, Deiana.” James hushed softly and the chocobo pushed her beak against James’ head, in comfort. 

He heard the lady grunting behind him, and wiping off all the sticky and smelly hay from her clothes.   
“This is not the last you’ve seen of me!” she threatened and then walked off. James made another shrug and got his attention back to the talon of the chocobo. Before he continued however, he rubbed over the scratches the woman made. It should eventually mend one day, but the female surely did a number on them. 

Sighing with regret, James moved on with his work, hoping that the rest of the day he could continue without someone interrupting him.


End file.
